Met Office planning major investments in transformation, business analysis and solutions architecture

CIO Charles Ewen tells Computing that IT budgets have increased

The Met Office is planning major investments in transformation build work, business analysis and solutions architecture services in 2022.

The organisation's CIO, Charles Ewen, told Computing that his IT budget has increased.

"Next year will see a significant ramp up of transformation build work, following planning, approval and some design," said Ewen. "We are very resource constrained from an internal perspective, and so strategic priorities will be around partnering and maturing our ability to outsource for internal own and operate or rent ‘as a service' operations." he added.

But that's not the only area of IT investment planned.

"Major investments will be in areas related to that transformation, but also Business Analysis and Solutions Architecture services. "e expect most of the build to be in partnership with others," said Ewen.

Earlier in the year Ewen told Computing about its new £1.2bn supercomputer, which he stated is set to bring £13.7bn of economic benefit to the UK. He cited this when asked which technology most excites him about the futre.

"The most exciting technology is the implementation of a world-first model for scientific / super computing with Microsoft," said Ewen.

He also discussed the pandemic and its impact on IT.

"The thing that most concerns me is expectation management that pace of front end and collaboration provision can be maintained at early Covid levels whilst at the same time ensuring that what is delivered is cyber safe and sustainable in the longer term."

Another ares of concern he cited was ‘offensive cyber-as-a-service'; the idea that cyber criminals can now purchase malware and botnets with ease on the dark web, removing the need for any significant skills to perpetrate cyber crime.

He added concerns around cloud and its management.

"I'm also concerned by overly simplistic approaches to procure and provision cloud-based PaaS and SaaS - outdated governance, procurement and operational approaches."

On a lighter note, when asked if he was planning any new year's resolutions, he said: "To look after myself so that I can look after others!"